Synonyms of slow

slow 1 of 3

adjective

ˈslō 

1

as in leisurely

moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed

because of the holiday, traffic to the beach was particularly slow

slow readers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leisurely
• sluggish
• lagging
• crawling
• creeping
• unhurried
• slowing
• dragging
• dilatory
• laggard
• poky
• tardy
• languid
• dillydallying
• snaillike
• dallying
• poking
• snail-paced
• dawdling
• deliberate
• lethargic
• inactive
• lingering
• inert
• plodding
• ambling
• lounging
• measured
• loafing
• loitering
• decelerating
• heavy-footed
• shuffling
• slow-footed
• stalling
• tarrying
• procrastinating
• strolling
• inching
• filibustering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rapid
• swift
• quick
• fast
• speedy
• hasty
• rushing
• lightning
• brisk
• running
• breathless
• meteoric
• speeding
• dizzy
• ready
• snappy
• whirlwind
• racing
• flying
• fleet
• prompt
• expeditious
• rocketing
• bolting
• breakneck
• accelerated
• hurrying
• whirling
• warp-speed
• barreling
• quickened
• scudding
• rushed
• zipping
• hastened
• scurrying
• scooting
• hurried
• whisking
• careering

2

as in dumb

not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily

we love our bulldog though he's a little slower than our German shepherd

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dumb
• stupid
• simple
• thick
• dull
• dense
• foolish
• soft
• ignorant
• dim
• idiotic
• unreasonable
• silly
• unintelligent
• obtuse
• mad
• insane
• mindless
• opaque
• dopey
• crazy
• thickheaded
• senseless
• brain-dead
• irrational
• boneheaded
• fatuous
• vacuous
• dorky
• witless
• brainless
• doltish
• bonehead
• oafish
• dim-witted
• slow-witted
• weak-minded
• dunderheaded
• lamebrain
• pinheaded
• gormless
• unsmart
• thick-witted
• softheaded
• lunkheaded
• airheaded
• moronic
• absurd
• knuckleheaded
• chuckleheaded
• empty-headed
• bubbleheaded
• half-witted
• fool
• simpleminded
• feebleminded
• unwise
• birdbrained
• uninformed
• uneducated
• unthinking
• imbecile
• illiterate
• illogical
• unintellectual
• dippy
• untaught
• cretinous
• sappy
• wacky
• cuckoo
• daft
• nutty
• zany
• lowbrow
• nonsensical
• invalid
• asinine
• loony
• daffy
• balmy
• kooky
• preposterous
• boobish
• fallacious
• dotty
• screwball
• harebrained
• half-baked
• featherheaded
• crackpot
• cockeyed
• tomfool

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quick
• fast
• brilliant
• sharp
• apt
• intelligent
• bright
• smart
• clever
• nimble
• keen
• wise
• acute
• ingenious
• resourceful
• thinking
• keen
• knowing
• cerebral
• intellectual
• savvy
• insightful
• perceptive
• astute
• sagacious
• skilled
• knowledgeable
• learned
• discerning
• brainy
• literate
• scholarly
• quick-witted
• ultrasmart
• sage
• trained
• erudite
• reasonable
• informed
• supersmart
• sharp-witted
• sound
• cunning
• shrewd
• hyperintelligent
• educated
• perspicacious
• prudent
• wily
• sensible
• logical
• crafty
• valid
• judicious
• sapient
• sane
• rational
• percipient
• highbrow
• well-read
• schooled
• foxy

3

as in sleepy

lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation

a slow day on Wall Street

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sleepy
• dead
• idle
• sluggish
• vacant
• comatose
• dormant
• off
• lethargic
• inactive
• free
• torpid
• inert
• latent
• fallow
• inoperative

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• busy
• lively
• alive
• humming
• vibrant
• bustling
• flourishing
• thriving
• animated
• buzzing
• astir
• swarming
• overflowing
• teeming
• abounding
• thronging

4

as in boring

causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest

the first half of the movie is slow, but then it gets exciting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• boring
• tiring
• stupid
• weary
• dull
• heavy
• old
• wearying
• dusty
• dry
• annoying
• tame
• tedious
• irritating
• pedestrian
• monotonous
• tiresome
• ponderous
• uninteresting
• stodgy
• wearisome
• leaden
• drab
• arid
• humdrum
• dreary
• numbing
• stale
• flat
• exhausting
• monochromatic
• colorless
• stuffy
• ho-hum
• jejune
• pallid
• mind-numbing
• drudging
• draining
• sterile
• uneventful
• jading
• blah
• unspectacular
• unexciting
• barren
• blank
• soggy
• unimaginative
• dullish
• irksome
• gray
• prosy
• unrewarding
• spiritless
• prosaic
• uninspiring
• undramatic
• bothersome
• discouraging
• earthbound
• aseptic
• fatiguing
• inanimate
• pedantic
• cumbersome
• debilitating
• plodding
• tepid
• ordinary
• common
• suspenseless
• pleasureless
• unsensational
• unnewsworthy
• commonplace
• wearing
• lumbering
• demoralizing
• unsurprising
• disheartening
• poky
• unexceptional
• dispiriting
• longsome
• enervating
• vapid
• enfeebling
• palling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interesting
• involving
• surprising
• wonderful
• intriguing
• engaging
• spectacular
• amazing
• absorbing
• exciting
• engrossing
• riveting
• astonishing
• gripping
• awesome
• wondrous
• marvelous
• astounding
• stimulating
• inspiring
• exhilarating
• sensational
• moving
• thrilling
• amusing
• stirring
• breathtaking
• fabulous
• entertaining
• energizing
• rousing
• electrifying
• attractive
• charming
• animating
• poignant
• fascinating
• touching
• attracting
• alluring
• enlivening
• invigorating
• enchanting
• beguiling
• enthralling
• galvanizing
• rip-roaring
• entrancing
• bewitching
• eye-opening
• diverting
• hair-raising
• suspenseful
• provocative
• tantalizing
• captivating
• mesmerizing
• arresting
• spellbinding

slow

2 of 3

verb

as in to brake

to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace

if you don't slow your delivery down a bit, your speech will be over too soon

Synonyms & Similar Words

• brake
• retard
• inhibit
• decelerate
• stop
• hinder
• impede
• slacken
• halt
• restrain
• curb
• obstruct
• check
• hamper
• set back
• thwart
• tie up
• handicap
• rein
• hold back
• frustrate
• encumber
• hobble
• constrain
• arrest
• sabotage
• bottleneck
• foil
• hold up
• baffle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accelerate
• hurry
• hasten
• rush
• speed (up)
• step up
• encourage
• push
• quicken
• urge
• drive
• stir
• spur
• forward
• help
• facilitate
• propel
• aid
• expedite
• ease
• further
• advance
• goad
• dispatch

slow

3 of 3

adverb

as in slowly

at a pace that is less than usual, desirable, or expected

you need to go slow with this experiment, or you'll make mistakes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slowly
• cautiously
• sluggishly
• leisurely
• laggardly
• deliberately
• tardily
• carefully
• purposefully
• pokily
• heavily
• ploddingly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fast
• rapidly
• quickly
• swift
• quick
• swiftly
• briskly
• speedily
• hastily
• immediately
• apace
• soon
• promptly
• readily
• presto
• fleetly
• recklessly
• meteorically
• full tilt
• snappily
• impulsively
• suddenly
• rashly
• abruptly
• impetuously
• pronto
• posthaste

Synonym Chooser

How is the word slow distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of slow are delay, detain, retard, and slacken. While all these words mean "to cause to be late or behind in movement or progress," slow and slacken also imply a reduction of speed, slow often suggesting deliberate intention.

medication slowed the patient's heart rate

In what contexts can delay take the place of slow?

In some situations, the words delay and slow are roughly equivalent. However, delay implies a holding back, usually by interference, from completion or arrival.

bad weather delayed our arrival

When would detain be a good substitute for slow?

The meanings of detain and slow largely overlap; however, detain implies a holding back beyond a reasonable or appointed time.

unexpected business had detained her

Where would retard be a reasonable alternative to slow?

While in some cases nearly identical to slow, retard suggests reduction of speed without actual stopping.

language barriers retarded their progress

When can slacken be used instead of slow?

The synonyms slacken and slow are sometimes interchangeable, but slacken suggests an easing up or relaxing of power or effort.

on hot days runners slacken their pace

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of slow

Adjective

But in other ways, progress has been slow. —Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Rantanen was slow to get up, but initially stayed on the bench before heading down the tunnel to the locker room. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 May 2026

Verb

Minoxidil, when used topically, thickens hair and slows loss. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2026

Traffic through the waterway that carries 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas has slowed to a trickle. —Bart Jansen, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

Adverb

The most radical, countercultural, genuinely subversive act in business today is to deliberately go slow. —Big Think, 1 May 2026

This eerie riff on The Shining feels as if the Irish writer-director has a better grasp on both the catch-and-release tension that the genre needs and the balancing of sharp shocks and slow-simmering dread. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026

Phrases Containing slow

• slow burn